A (, lit. "Yule tart", ; sometimes known as , "star tart") is a Finnish Christmas pastry. It is traditionally made from puff pastry in the shape of a star or pinwheel and filled with prune jam and often dusted with icing sugar. The pastries can be in other shapes and apple used in place of the prune jam.
s are mostly made in Finland but also in Sweden.
In 2020, a company that sells the dough estimated that the average Finn eats about 18 pieces of each year.
History
The Finnish joulutorttu developed in the 19th century from plum-filled pastries originating in England. The recipe originally came via Sweden when it was published in the cookbook Hjelpreda i hushållningen för unga fruentimber, which was written by Cajsa Warg and published in 1755.
Controversy
The first controversy began in November 2013, when the local newspaper Borås Tidning posted a photo of traditional Finnish Christmas pastries on its Facebook page. The newspaper’s intention was simply to spark a discussion about whether it was still too early to start getting into the Christmas spirit.
Many Swedish readers, who were not previously familiar with the Finnish Christmas pastry, saw a direct connection between the pastry’s spiked shape and the swastika. The photo spread rapidly, and the pastry began to be mockingly referred to as a “Nazi tart” (nazibulle or nazitårta).
The same issue has resurfaced on subsequent occasions. For example, in 2016, Sveriges Radio posted a photo of Christmas pastries on social media. Even then, some of the comments accused the broadcaster of spreading swastika symbolism.
See also List of pastries
References
External links